Christy Clark sees Enemies Model

In its May 4th edition, the Vancouver Province quoted Education Minister Christy Clark saying "Principals and vice-principals have a right and responsibility to supervise teachers in classrooms." According to the Province, she went on to say "For too long we've had a model that assumes teachers and administrators are enemies and children are widgets. They're not." Clark is alleged to have made that statement at a B.C. Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils conference in Burnaby.

It is very disturbing that Clark thinks BC has had a model "that assumes teachers and administrators are enemies and children are widgets." That strong rhetoric should be backed up with specific evidence. Which schools treat students as widgets? Name the administrator or teacher that views colleagues in education as "enemies". It looks like Christy Clark is again engaged in teacher bashing, but this time the B.C. Principals and Vice-Principals Association has every reason to object to how its members are being portrayed as incompetent.

An announcement regarding $60,000 to the B.C. Principals and Vice-Principals Association formed part of the background for Clark's unfortunate rhetoric. On her website, the news release was labeled "Draft". The Minister's remarks also sounded like a rough draft. She should apologize for the words that passed her lips, or else she should produce the specific cases.

The backgrounder to Clark's "draft" news release says that "Principals have the right and responsibility to supervise teachers in the classroom, and this is an important component of this program." What it doesn't say is that principals have had that right and responsibility for decades. As is frequently the case with Clark's announcements, much of what is announced is not new. What is new is a program whose aim includes increasing the amount of time principals spend in the classroom observing teaching. Wouldn't a results oriented school system allocate its administrators to problem areas rather than to a broad brush program? Of course, it is school boards who determine how to allocate staff, not the Minister of Education.

Perhaps Minister Clark could benefit from some skills upgrading. Graduate programs in leadership are available, but one would first have to demonstrate successful completion of an undergraduate degree. While working on her needed improvements, Clark would be well advised to limit her remarks to supporting partners in education rather than making unfounded claims about models that never existed.